A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUST EAST OF HIGH ISLAND TEXAS EASTWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS DISCONTINUED EAST OF THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING CONTINUES FROM THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER TO THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA BORDER.

AT 1000 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 90.8 WEST OR OVER THE LOUISIANA COAST JUST WEST-SOUTHWEST OF COCODRIE LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT ABOUT 70 MILES...110 KM...SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 100 MILES...160 KM...SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA.

GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A DECREASE IN THE FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF GUSTAV WILL TRACK ALONG THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST THIS AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE INTO WESTERN LOUISIANA TONIGHT AND EASTERN TEXAS ON TUESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH...175 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS THE CENTER OF GUSTAV MOVES INLAND OVER LOUISIANA.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 955 MB...28.20 INCHES.

AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF GUSTAV CROSSES THE COAST.

GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY.